Illinois & Wisconsin Team Rankings

The USSSA Illinois State Office and ABR are proud to announce the new Team Rankings selection process. The USSSA Illinois Elite Program provides all teams who play in USSSA the opportunity to be recognized on a state level. The USSSA Illinois Elite Program will also provide many opportunities for players such as recognition for “Player of the week”, and USSSA All-Star event invites. Participating in this program, teams will be featured in weekly team spotlights and will be recognized on all USSSA Illinois social media outlets, and email blast to more than 2,500 teams in the state. This is a great program for team’s who are looking to be put on the USSSA Illinois State map, while giving many opportunities to all the players/ team’s involved.

Team Rankings will be released every other week, starting with the first announcement being Wednesday April 13, 2016, following the USSSA Battle of the Rankings Tournament. All teams will be eligible to participate in the USSSA Illinois Team Rankings throughout the season. The Final Team Rankings for the end of the season will be posted on Wednesday July 6, 2016. Those teams will then keep their final ranking spots until the 2017 season begins.

Team Selection Process

The USSSA Illinois Elite Program will award teams who play in USSSA and will help us decide our Team Rankings one through ten for that week. The USSSA Illinois State Office has developed this comprehensive in state point system which awards points to each classification a team might play against throughout the season. When a team plays against their age level (Major-A) plus points will be awarded for a win and negative points will be award for a loss (as seen below in yellow). This system will also award points to teams who play against an older age level classification (as seen below in red). This system also takes into consideration the final standing for each USSSA Tournament your team plays in, and will award points accordingly (as seen below in Blue). Playing in the USSSA State Tournament will award teams more points depending on where the team finishes in the final standings (as shown below in Blue). USSSA Illinois State Office and Amateur Baseball Report believes this will bring a level playing field to all teams who are competing in the team rankings week in and week out.

Once all points have been tallied for each team, the top ten teams with the most points accumulated will be ranked one through ten and will have the total points listed on right hand side of their team name.

Tie-breaker: in a case of a tie between teams, we will use the USSSA power rankings to determine the teams ranking in that respective week.

Verse In Age Classification

Verse Older Age Classification

Classifications

Win (+)

Loss (-)

Classifications

Win (+)

Loss(-)

Vs. Major

6

-2

Vs. Major

7

-1

Vs. AAA

5

-3

Vs. AAA

6

-2

Vs. AA

4

-4

Vs. AA

5

-3

Vs. A

3

-5

Vs. A

4

-4

The chart above shows how teams will receive their team rankings. Teams will receive (+) or (-) points for their overall record against their respective age level (as shown above in yellow). Teams will also be awarded (+) or (-) points when playing against an older age level (as shown above in red).

(Disclaimer: You will receive points based on the opponent’s classification at the time you play them)

Final Tournament Standings

USSSA Tournament

State Tournament

1st Place Finish

10

15

2nd Place Finish

8

12

3rd Place Finish

6

9

4th Place Finish

4

6

5th Place and Below

2

3

The above chart shows the point value that will be awarded to each team, determined by where your team finishes in the final tournament standings at each USSSA tournament your team participates in (as shown in column 1 marked USSSA Tournaments). The USSSA State weekend will award more points determined on where a team finishes in the final standing of the State Tournament (as shown in column 2 marked State Tournament).

Team Ranking Awards

All teams who finish the season ranked number one in the state at their respective age level will receive commemorative ABR team ranking rings. (rings to be announced shortly)

Team spotlight on social on Social Media Outlets and email blast to all USSSA Illinois and Wisconsin teams.

Opportunity for players to be selected for the USSSA Tri-State All-Star Weekend

Opportunity for players to represent Team Illinois and Team Wisconsin in the USSSA Jr. All-State Games